Google TV-powered LG TVs due this month

According to a Reuters report, LG will be launching a line of TVs powered by Google's television operating system by the end of the month.

"Production of Google TVs will start from May 17 from our factory in Mexico and U.S. consumers will be able to buy the product from the week of May 21," LG VP Ro Seogho was quoted as saying.

Right now, if you want to buy a Google TV device...well, you're actually kind of out of luck. There have only been two Google TV products released so far - the Logitech Revue set-top box, which was discontinued, and Sony's Internet TV line, which is also not currently in production.

So the only way to buy a new Google TV product is to dig deep into online retailers with excess stock, or buy it used somewhere. Or you can wait, since there are a handful of new Google TV devices on their way to the market this year.

So far, though, Google TV has been an admitted flop. The main problem is that, for example, Sony's Internet TV models were far more expensive than any of its other comparable HDTVs. And what you were getting for that premium was pretty bland.

In fact, there is some functionality available in other Inernet-connected TVs that Google TV doesn't have. For example, Hulu Plus is available for Samsung's smart TV platform, but not Google TV.

The only thing that truly differentiates Google TV from other Internet-connected TVs at this point is the fully functional Chrome Web browser, allowing users to visit any website from their TV, but the question is how many people actually care about being able to do that.